Truck weights

The debate of whether Miller Lite is “less filling or tastes great” is certainly a great question of our generation. However, it is closely followed by the question of is it total weight or weight per axle that is worse for our roads? Yes, the eternal debate over the impact that truck weights have on deteriorating roads has been discussed for decades – and there is still no clear-cut winner.

As you know, Michigan allows truck loads up to 164,000 pounds. All other states allow a maximum of only 80,000 pounds. For years, many have thought that these heavy trucks are to blame for the sorry condition of our roads. First thing to consider is the number of these large trucks registered in Michigan. Only about eight percent of the trucks registered in Michigan by the Secretary of State carry between 80,000 and 164,000 pounds – and only 321, or 0.4 percent of all registered trucks are registered to carry the maximum allowable weight of 164,000 pounds.

And what about the weight that these big trucks carry? Well, both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation have shown that the weight per axle carried by these trucks is less than the weight per axle carried by an 80,000 pound truck. It is their opinion that it is weight per axle and not gross weight that is responsible for doing more damage to our pavements.

Now a new player has entered the discussion. Zeeland Farms Services sponsored five high school students to study the relationship between heavy trucks and road damage. They concluded that heavy trucks were better – not worse – for us.

This is not going to stop the debate by any means and you can certainly question the intent of the sponsor of the study, but the numbers and the arguments are worth reviewing and considering in this debate. Have we spent too much time debating this issue? I think we have without coming up with a definitive answer. A college professor once told our class that a full beer truck just beginning its delivery route did more damage to a road than a big truck. I sure hope we don’t do anything to make it harder for these trucks to travel on our roadways!